Exec oversaw 'Crash,' 'The Illusionist' at Yari

Katz will oversee all aspects of theatrical releases, including development, production, acquisitions, distribution and marketing, reporting to TWC co-chairman Bob Weinstein from the Los Angeles office.

Katz was most recently the production prexy at Film Department and previously the exec VP of production at Yari Film Group. At Yari, Katz oversaw pics including “Crash,” “The Illusionist” and “The Painted Veil.”

The new exec has more than two decades of experience in worldwide film production. He recently served as a producer on Relativity’s “Law Abiding Citizen,” which grossed more than $120 million worldwide.

Film Department shuttered in May, with founders Mark Gill and Neal Sacker citing poor timing and a credit crunch as reasons behind the closure.

“We were debt-free and cash poor,” Gill told Variety at the time. “We had a company that worked operationally. We’ve gotten pretty close to getting new financing, but we just weren’t able to.”

Katz’s other credits include “One Hour Photo,” “The Rebound” and “A Little Bit of Heaven.” The Film Department is still negotiating with distributors to release the latter two.